Tag: Michael Matchulat

Sweet Lorane Community News, October 19, 2017

October 20, 2017Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
October 19, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Happy Autumn all! This is when I miss the days of cuddling around a warm fireplace or woodstove with a hot mug of coffee or cocoa. Don’t get me wrong… I love our heat pump, but there’s just something about the comfort of sitting on the raised hearth of our old fireplace and soaking up the heat in the evenings…

This is the time of year to celebrate our harvests… much of the canning and freezing has been done for those who still raise their own gardens and preserve their own produce. I kept my grandmother’s old pressure cooker going all through the late summer and early fall for a couple of decades when our kids were growing up. I always had a huge garden, but these days we enjoy the limited amount of fruits and veggies we plant fresh off the vine and donate extra to the Lorane Grower’s Market. Home canned vegetables, especially, are so much better than store-bought, but my back no longer allows me to stand at and lean over a kitchen sink for long periods, so we either eat fresh or bring home canned from the store.

I love the fact that the new group, Lorane Community Cares, is focusing on community gardens and canning and preservation clinics to work together and learn how to prepare and process the produce to donate to local food banks. Their first 3-day clinic was held this past weekend. Hopefully, I can report on its success in next week’s column.

Margie McNutt, an extremely talented kiln-formed, fused glass artist, in Lorane is offering to set up classes at her home studio on Cottage Grove-Lorane Road. If you would like to learn how to design and make your own creations for yourself or as a special gift for someone else, the 5-week course will be from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Schedule, TBA. The classes will go for 5 weeks with firings to complete two projects of your choice. If you’d like to see some of the work she has done, go to her Facebook page at MargieMcNuttGlass. For further details, call 541-942-7471.

The Lorane Grange is having “a baked potato bar dinner with just about any trimmings you might think of” night followed by family bingo on Friday, October 27 beginning at 5:30 p.m.

I personally would like to invite everyone who enjoys reading stories and poetry written by local writers to join us at the Groundwaters annual Groundwaters LIVE! It’s a celebration of the completion of our 3rd annual Groundwaters 2017: An Anthology which showcases 62 authors and poets. The event will take place on Sunday, October 29 at 2:00 p.m. at the Applegate Regional Theater (ART) on the corners of Central and Fleck Roads north of Crow. Ten of our contributors will be giving 5-minute readings of their work. Refreshments will be served and books will be available.

Lorane and Crow have a large representation in this year’s book. Jennifer Buchholz of Lorane provided the beautiful cover photo and Katarina Digman of Lorane provided the painting on the back cover. Norm Maxwell is represented in the book by three of his popular stories; Stanley Buck provides three stories, one of which is called “Carpenters By-Pass 1950.” A new contributor, Michael Matchulat of Lorane has written a moving story about his battle with Stage IV colon cancer; and always popular, Millie Graves from Crow, her son Dana, as well as numerous others from the West Lane area and Creswell who are also included. We hope to see a large attendance on the 29th.

Don’t forget! The annual Fall Harvest Festival will be held on October 28 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Applegate Elementary School.

Sweet Lorane Community News, June 22, 2017

June 22, 2017Newspaper Columns, , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
June 22, 2017
By Pat Edwards

Today, as I write this, we are preparing to begin our 10-day vacation in Montana to visit our youngest daughter, Kelly, and her husband, Justin. They just completed the building of a beautiful new dream home on Flathead Lake and we are to be their first guests. Pretty exciting stuff! We are really looking forward to seeing them and their home as well as some special friends who live in Helena.

Lorane news is really sparse right now, so instead, I want to share with my readers some words written by a Lorane resident whose willingness to be open and honest have made him very special to those of us who know him as well as those who are benefiting by his words outside of Lorane.

Michael Matchulat, aka Michael Matchy on Facebook, has spent the last two years waging a battle that all of us dread and few of those preceding him have survived for this long. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer and has gone through more than any of us can imagine. He started off strong, but today, as you will see, he has attained even greater strength, wisdom and insight… but I’ll let Michael tell it in his own words…

Michael Matchulat pic

“About two years ago, my perspective on everything was forced to change. I used to be a regular grain of sand in the mass of the universe, but now my goal is to not cause irritation by blowing into someone’s eye.

“My team (of doctors) has biopsied, poked, cut, glued, scanned and implanted countless items, and regrown parts of me (some several times) to make me part of the 5% who live to 24 months with this much cancer. I won this battle, but the war is far from over.

“The most shocking element for me is how much this disease has become a part of me. I never wanted that; I was always told never to let something define you. Well, this is a big one and it’s who I am now.

“People often wonder what would happen if they were shot, stabbed, in a car crash, or lost their previous abilities. Well, I know what happens in my reality, and I’ll tell you… The outpouring of support is overwhelming. Don’t test it. Two percent of original patients live to 5 years, so that’s a new goal for me.

“In the blink of the eye I’ve watched friends die, go from terminal to independent, and watched as conversation mates struggle to comprehend what I’m going through and try to give certain advice straight from their chocolate starfish.

“We all have our struggles in life; we can’t compare those with each other. Just don’t try to make death and living a competition. Do it your own way and be happy you found out how. We are all beating to a different metronome.

“My team and I have some significant battles coming up very soon and I hope the last two years were a good warm up and preparation for the great things to come for us all.

“Yeehaw!”

Please feel free to share his words with others. Thank you, Michael.

Sweet Lorane Community News – May 12, 2016

May 12, 2016Newspaper Columns, , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
May 12, 2016
By Pat Edwards

With all of this beautiful late spring/early summer weather, most of us are busy trying to keep up with the mowing and getting those weeds pulled at home. What many of us don’t think about, though, is that, thanks to local volunteers, the local cemeteries are being prepared for Memorial Day to honor not only our veterans, but the special people who have passed before us. The Lorane Grange and Rebekahs are no exception. On Monday, May 16, the Lorane Grange had a work party to mow and clean up the Grange Cemetery located on the hill next to King Estate. The King family has provided access to it from their north parking lot. If you haven’t had a chance to visit it, you should. The views are fantastic and a lot of Lorane’s history lies there.

The Lorane Rebekah’s are having their workday at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery on Saturday, May 21 at 9:00 a.m. and hope that volunteers from the community will join them in the task. Please bring gloves, weedeaters and other hand tools.

I didn’t get this information in time to put the Lorane Grange Cemetery cleanup in my column last week, but they do this each year and both organizations could really use help from the community.

A weavers group is being formed at the Independent Yarn Shop at 819 E. Main in Cottage Grove and Lorane resident, Marilyn Wilber, is encouraging those in the community who are interested to sign up. Marilyn, who is a local crafter, has told us that Pat Olivier has been a weaver for 45 years and she wants to pass on her craft to others. She will welcome students with all skill levels who are interested in learning various types of weaving. The classes will be held twice a month. For more information, call Marilyn at 541-942-6073 or email her at desertflower66@gmail.com. You can also sign up with Julie or Sami at the yarn shop, 541-942-6924.

This seems like a great opportunity to remind everyone of the rug hookery group that has been meeting in Lorane this past year. They meet twice monthly. The evening meetings are on the first Thursday every month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lorane Fire Hall and daytime meetings are on the third Wednesday of each month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at the Rebekah’s Lodge.

Local long-time Lorane resident, Linda Johnson, is now home following heart surgery. Her daughter, Bridgett Johnson-Elliott said it best: “Mom’s surgery was a success; her heart has a brand new aortic valve and a fresh single artery bypass ready for life’s next journey around the sun! It’s beating as strong as a hummingbird. We’re so proud of you.”

You’re bound to heal twice as fast now that you’re home, Linda. Congratulations! We’re glad that the surgery is over and you can now spend your days healing during Mother Nature’s best time of the year surrounded by her bounty which you have always loved.

Another medical update is provided by Michael Matchulat for those who have been sending prayers for him in his battle with cancer. His latest scan shows no new tumors, the lymph nodes have not enlarged, and it appears that the large tumor in his colon has shrunk. Michael continues to keep us all updated with his outrageous  humor and is giving to others in the form of volunteering to help with the Crow Middle School track meets this spring. Thank you, Michael!